The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-07-30
The Sunday School.
LESSON FOB AUGUST Z, 1887.
BY REV. ROBERT t. POLK.
JESUS In GALILEE.
Matthew iv. 17-25.]
GAIILEE

baxe returned to where John was baptlzlng
at Bethany beyond the Jordan (John i. 2oh.)
Here John bore public testimony to JESUS as
the Coming One whom GoD had appointed
and who would baptize with the Holy Spirit,
of which his own baptism in water was put
the symbol. Pointing him out, ne SAID,
"See the Lamb of Cop, who takes away the
ain of the world" Two Of Johns disciples,
Andrew and John, Galileans, became dis
ciples of JESUS. Andrew sought bis brother
Simon, who was afterward called Cephas-
Peter, whom he told that they had found the
Messiah, and introduced him to JESUS. On
the next day, when JESUS was about 10 re-
turn to Galilee, where was his home, ne FOUND
Philip of Bethsaids, the city of the three VINO
had become his disciples, whom he asked 10
accompany him. Philip found bis friend
Nathaniel, of Cana, to whom he said, I'VE
have found him of whom Moses in the Law
and the prophets wrote, JESUS of Nazareth.
Nathaniel could hardly believe that any good
thing would spring from Nazareth; but when
he saw JESUS he was convinced that he was
COPS Son aud King Of Israel. At Oana, a
village near Nazareth, the home of JESUS, ne
attended wedding with his mother and dis
ciples, where it is said he wrought his frst
"sign'' Gmiracle] manifesting divine powers,
by producing a supply of good wine from
water (John ii. 1-12). Afterward he went
with his family and disciples to Capernaum,
probably to join a caravan of their country
men who would start in ga few days" to
l. IA ba AT I6rU-
salem he drove the traders from the Temple,
and when the Jews asked him for a sign OF
his authority, he declared his resurrection
power; he wrought signs and made many dis
ciples, having a notable interview with MOO
demus ruler of the Jews, who confessed,
"No man can do these signs that you do un-
less COP be with him." and to whom JESUS
announced the spiritual nature of the Mes
siah's reign John iii. 1-21). After the pass
over, JESUS and his disciples remained in
Judea at place where it is said his disciples
baptized (John iii. %; iv. a. Here ne prob
ably heard of controversy which Jew had
with one of Johns disciples concerning the
popularity of his own (his disciple's) bap-
tism, and wishing not to provoke the jealous
hatred of the Pharisees, who had heard that
he was making more disciples than John, he
departed again for Galilee. On the way he
had the interview with the Samaritan woman
at Jacobs we'll, to whom he declared his
Messiahship and the spiritual nature of true
worship, and made many disciples in Sychar,
where he tarried ten days. Arriving in Cali
lee he was welcomed by the people who had
witnessed his doings at the passover festival
in Jerusalem. He went to Cana, as on the
occasion of his return from Johns baptism.
Some think that his mother, now widow,
may have resided in Cana, having near re-
latives there, as her presence at the wedding
would seem to indicate. Here was wrought,
it is said, the Second sign that JESUS did
in Galilee." He announced the cure OF a
courtier's son who was at the point of death
in Capernaum, and whose father, having
heard of his arrival from Judea, came and
besought him that he would go and cure his
son (John iv.) Luke records that he went to
Nazareth, "where he had been brought up"
and according to his custom he went to the
synagogue on the Sabbath. Being invited
to read from the Scriptures, he selected
prophecy of the Messiah, which he expounded
as being fulfilled in himself, which so enraged
his hearers, many of whom were former ac-
quaintances, that they sought to kill him,
probably on a charge of blasphemy. But 1T
is said that he escaped their fury, and went
to Capernaum, where he taught in the syna-
gogues on the Sabbaths, to the great aston
ishment of his hearers (Luke iv. 1882.
Matthew, true to the purpose of his gospel,
omits all reference to JESUS in Judea, from
the temptation in the wilderness to the begin
ming of his public ministry. The public
ministry of JESUS began in Galilee, by the
sea, or lake, when he heard that John was
cast into prison by the fearful prudence or
Jealous anger Of Herod, the permanence and
peace of whose reign was apparently endan-
gered by the boldness and vigor of the Bap-
lists preaching and his growing popularity
among the people of his dominion. In brief
and general statement, Matthew says:
"When he had heard that John was delivered
up he departed into Galilee upper Galilee,
probably. And he left Nazareth, and re-
sided in Capernaum by the lakeside" oversees
u, 49,. This fulfilled a prophecy of Isaiah
concerning this region of Palestine, called
Galilee of the Gentiles because Of its num-
erous Gentle population, and was deemed
an evidence of his Messiahship (see 1916;
Isaiah tx. 1ffl.
Galilee was the northern division of Pales-
tine, and was included in the hierarchy of
Herod Antipas; Samsris and Judea forming
the Province of Judea, over which Archelaus
ruled: The word signifies "a circuit" and
was originally applied to circuit of twenty
cities which King Solomon offered to Hiram,
king Of Tyre, in payment for services and
supplies in building the Temple Joshua Xxx.
z; Kings tx. III. The extreme situation of
the district, and its being in the caravan route
from Damascus to Egypt, occasioned the
settlement of large Gertile population, and
80 numerous did this become that the region
was called by Isaiah literally. "circuit of the
Gentiles." It was fertile and populous
region, and in the time of CHRIST supported
by its products and commerce an immense
population of intelligent and thrifty people,
mostly Jews. Its remotenees from Jerusalem.
the centre of the Hebrew religion and its
traditional beliefs and rituals, and the con-
slant intercourse with Gentiles, tempered
and weakened the religious prejudices of the
population and rendered the Galileans more
tolerant of modified beliefs or new forms OF
teaching or worship than their Judean breth-
rem. Capernaum, the home of JESUS, during
his public ministry, and the centre of his
labors and journeys, was one, probably the
chief and most important, of number OF
populous and fourishing cities situated in
the fertile and luxuriant plain which bordered
the lake of Galilee, or Tiberias, or Genne-